A/N: Earlier in one of the chapters, I meant to say Emlin was "over forty years old", not that she was "forty years old", but the 'over' was somehow edited out, and I did notice it until I was rereading the chapter for references. Please forgive the author... Emlin is, in fact, 49.

Chapter 7- A Princely Foe

Legolas watched as the sodden elleths retreated quickly towards the path that would lead them to the stairs and up to their talans. He smiled to himself, thinking of Emlin and the reaction she had to seeing him there, and then even more so when she realized that her under tunic was very diaphanous. Originally he had just planned on leaving the two friends alone when he first came upon the glade. It appeared they were having such a wonderful time hopping the stones, that he did not wish to interrupt them, but they fell into the water. Some odd instinct came over him to go and rescue both of the elleths because they made no action for quite an amount of time after settling in the water. He was half way to them when he heard the loud laughter and they stood up, trying to clean themselves off.

When his ears first heard that, he slowed to a lazy walk so he could gaze upon the elleths, unbeknownst to them. The silver-haired one was attractive, but it was obvious that she was even younger than Emlin from her underdeveloped frame, even for the usual build of a elleths. Emlin, on the other hand, was quite opposite and appeared that she was not even as young as he had originally guessed. Her body was almost to that of an elleth's who was a millennia old, and he was painfully aware of that fact with the wet tunic pressing to her chest.

He had tried with all of his self-control to look away, but he found that impossible to do with such an elleth standing there. Why was he thinking so impurely about a young elleth? The elleth herself probably did not even know how to counter the advances he was making towards her. Maybe it was because he had gone so long without the companionship of a female that he was thinking about this. Or could it have been a diversion that he sought to take his mind off of the journey he was now on? Whatever it was, Legolas disliked that he had such ideas about Emlin. She did not deserve a perverse ellon taking her attentions in the way he had, undressing her with his eyes. No elleth did.

With a heavy sigh, Legolas shook his head and walked towards the path the elleths had taken, moving slowly towards the staircases. Song filled the air as he walked, the elves of Lothlórien beginning their laments to the Grey Wizard. He was close to moving past the pain he felt for losing such a valuable leader and friend, as he knew that Aragorn would be just as good as Gandalf, but the loss still sat heavy in his heart. He would go down to his friends this night and stay with them while the elves continued their songs.

Legolas reached Haldir and Indilisse's talan a while later and knocked heavily on the door. There was excited chatter from Thoron and he ran to the door before his parents could. The elfling threw the door back with a large smile on his features, running back to the table where Haldir was fixing Thoron's bowstring. Indilisse appeared from the fire where a cast- iron pot hung. She smiled, "Welcome, dear friend."

"I thank you for inviting me." He smiled and took Indilisse's hand, placing a kiss on her fingers.

"So I see you did not receive a better invitation?" Haldir questioned, standing up from his seat, handing Thoron the bow. Thoron disappeared with the bow up to his chamber.

"Nay, I did not receive one." Legolas frowned, "Though there was an elleth that I was hoping to spend some more time with. I think I frightened her away."

Haldir laughed, saying, "She must not realize that she ran from Legolas Thranduilion."

He shook his head and took the goblet of wine that Indilisse had poured for him. "Oh, she knew who I was."

"So what is the name of this elleth?" Indilisse questioned with a bright smile, walking back for the pot on the fire. "I could put in a good word for you during your stay."

"Her name is Emlin." Legolas replied, "She is quite young. I should speak with her parents before I spend more time with her."

The room fell deadly silent; so quiet was it that all that could be heard was the slight gurgle of the stew on the fire and the voices of elves in lament. The spoon in Indilisse's hand froze in mid stir of the contents of the pot. Haldir looked at him with disapproval written all over his face, his eyebrows furrowing angrily. Legolas noticed Haldir's hands, that were once loose at his side, now were balled up into tight fists, the knuckles turning white. Oh Elbereth! What had he done? Was Emlin their daughter?

An answer to his question was not far away. He heard soft footfalls coming from the master chambers off to the side of the main room. The door opened slowly and out stepped the elleth, her golden-brown hair falling elegantly over the creamy skin of her shoulders and soft blue of her gown. Now he knew why her eyes seemed so familiar to him. They were Indilisse's! Oh this was no good. He had been lusting after a friend's daughter- friends whom he held in the highest regards- who obviously was an innocent, youngling elleth.

"Hello," she spoke, her voice wavering slightly as she cast her eyes to the ground.

What surprised Legolas the most was that Haldir, though appearing infinitely enraged, did not verbalize his anger. Haldir turned to him and took a calming breath, "Legolas, this is my daughter Emlin, but it appears you two have already met."

Indilisse was a savior and cleared her throat. "The meal is ready."

This announcement broke the tension in the room enough, and Thoron bounding the room diverted their attention so they could quickly jockey for seats at the table. Haldir sat at one end of the table, Legolas at the other as was directed by Indilisse. Thoron and Emlin sat opposite each other, but Indilisse made sure that she sat next to Emlin, between her and Legolas. Indilisse served the stew and a few words were spoken before they began to eat. Haldir continued to stare him down, lifting a spoon to his mouth slowly. The room remained silent, and Legolas prayed for the gift of a comment to bring everyone out of the tension-filled state, and for some way to be out of Haldir's disdainful glare.

For Elbereth's sake! It felt like it was his father looking at him with all of that disapproval, and even his father was not so bad as Haldir was, even when he did the most despicable things. Nay, Haldir did not just stare at him like his father, but he made him feel like an elfling that was only about Thoron's age. He had nearly spent three millennia in Arda, only two hundred years less than Haldir himself. That sent a sudden pang of humiliation through his body, realizing that he was, in fact, as old as Emlin's father.

Aragorn had warned him this would one day get him into trouble.

"Thoron said that he actually hit the target today?" Indilisse questioned, looking directly at him, winking slightly.

"Aye he did." Legolas nodded his head, "But that was at the cost of a broken bow."

"I pulled back the string so far, it snapped!" Thoron nodded excitedly, completely unawares to what was happening around him.

Legolas glanced quickly to Haldir's right, to find Emlin, her eyes trained on the table in front of her. He had never meant for this to happen! If only he had not been so lust-filled over an elleth. Never was an elleth or ellon consumed so readily with the sight of another, but evil forces had somehow mingled with his good senses and clouded his mind.

"Emlin! Legolas said that he really does fight big spiders in Mirkwood!" Thoron said and turned to him, "My sister said that she did not think spiders could grow so large."

He glanced openly at Emlin now, since she had been brought into the conversation. Pink crept to her ears and cheeks as she slowly came to gaze on him. Legolas smiled, "Not all realms are as lucky to have the power of the Lady keeping such foul beasts out."

"I just did not think that they could grow so large to be such a threat." Emlin defended her position.

"Some can grow to be so large that they could barely fit in this room." He smiled, "Of course that is with all of their legs spread out."

She nodded her head and turned her gaze away from him again. Haldir, who had been paying close attention the short sentences they were saying to each other, looked down his nose at Legolas again. "Tell me, Emlin or Legolas, when was it that you met?"

"Last eve, Ada." Emlin replied, "When Aunt Narië asked Aranel and me to help her deliver the food."

"She tripped over my quiver and nearly spilled the food all over the ground." Legolas chimed in, but realized he probably should not have said anything about it by the annoyed look on her features.

Haldir leaned his elbows on the table, saying, "And she did not tell you that she was my daughter, or that she has only had nine and forty begetting days?"

"Ada..." Emlin looked at him.

Legolas shook his head, "She did not say much, Haldir, except that her name was Emlin. Aranel pulled her way."

Haldir continued to stare him down. Never before had he come across the father of one of his interests, but this was utterly frightening, especially since Legolas had seen Haldir's fury first hand when things did not please him. Haldir then sat back in his seat, carefully appraising him. He had not realized the ability of the March Warden to make one feel as small as an insect.

"Ada, please stop." Emlin said evenly, not looking at him, rather speaking towards her stew.

"What were your intentions with my daughter?" He questioned, ignoring his daughter's plights.

Emlin groaned loudly and she pushed back from the table, the hasty scraping of wood slightly bothering his ears. Legolas watched her smooth out her dress and regard her father with a disgusted look before walking towards a short staircase wrapping around the trees and undoubtedly up to an extra room. He recoiled at the sound of a door slamming and the locking bolt slide into place. It would seem, though, that to those who were not aware of their family dynamics, would say that the relationship between father and daughter was not the best. As though this had happened many times, Indilisse just shook her head and finished her meal. Thoron ate hastily and disappeared upstairs. And he was left at the table, still facing an angry father.

"Would you have had your way with her, Legolas, if you had been given a chance?" Haldir grilled him, "Would you have taken her maidenhood before she has even been named an adult by the Eldar?"

Legolas remained grim and sighed, "Haldir, I count you and Indilisse among the friends I hold in the highest regard. I would hope that you would think the same of me, and not even ask me this question."

He cursed himself. Here he was asking Haldir to remember their friendship and his honorable nature, and yet he was battling with the thoughts he had been having about Emlin. Truthfully, he did not know how he would react if presented the opportunity of having his way. The one thing he would never have done, though, was take her by force. That was too horrible a prospect to think that any of the Eldar would commit such a crime.

"But I do ask you this question." Haldir said, resting his fists on the table and stood up from his seat.

Legolas took this as his cue and stood himself, not to be outdone by the March Warden's way of making himself appear larger and more menacing than his foe so that they would back down. Haldir underestimated him. Legolas bowed his head slightly and said, "I will take my leave of you now, Haldir, as no good can come out of your enraged state, and my need to defend myself. Thank you, Indilisse, the food was superb."

With that, he backed to the door and stepped out as quickly as he could. He let his legs do his thinking after the door shut behind him, and he found himself not walking down to be with his friends, but walking up stair after stair to reach a high flet in the trees, the night sky with its millions of shimmering white stars unbidden by leaves of gold or any other covering. The fair elvish voices still sang and the faint cool breeze blew against his face, sending him into a state of contentment when he first stood atop the flet, even if the song was of an evil happening.

"So you escaped with your life?"

Legolas was startled by the quiet voice, and looked around him and saw no one. "Who is there?"

The leaves behind him rustled and he saw the hem of a pale blue skirt, then the waist and then the torso of the elleth wearing it, drop from her perch even higher in the trees than the flet. She brushed off her skirt and glanced at him as she straightened herself. "Now we have something in common, you and I."

"And what is that?" He asked quietly, turning his eyes to the sky to stop himself from gazing at her.

"We can both anger my father easily." Emlin replied, a great amount of sarcasm in her voice. "The only thing you do not have is the pleasure of living with him."

Legolas could not stop himself from chuckling at her words. "Has this happened before?"

"What? A prince of Mirkwood flirting shamelessly with a young elleth, even though she was quite mortified by it all?" She questioned. "Only you can answer that."

He smiled wryly. He enjoyed her biting sense of humor. "No, I mean does he do this to any he-elf interested in you?"

Emlin chuckled and walked to the edge of the flet and sat down, letting her legs dangle over the side. He joined her shortly and she looked at him. "I have not had a he-elf interested in me, until now. If there have been others, then I would not know. Everyone here realizes that I am not yet of age. Luinil, Ada's friend, has said a few unsavory things about me growing up, but all Ada has to do is glare at him to quiet him."

"I am sorry for my disrespect, Emlin." Legolas replied, "I should not have acted as I did around you, even though I could tell that you were young."

"You knew it and yet you still thought you would have your way with me?!" She exclaimed, feigning disgust. "You do deserve my father's wrath."

He was silent again and gazed up at the sky, "I do deserve it, that chagrins me, but it is true. I think I was just looking for a diversion from the troubles on my mind, and you happened to fall in front of me."

"Do not remind me." Emlin blushed deeply and rested back on her elbows.

"But I definitely would not have gone beyond calling you friend if I knew that your parents were Haldir and Indilisse." Legolas said.

Emlin laughed and sighed, "You forget my uncles as well. They are very protective."

Legolas smiled, "The worse damage they could inflict is scathing remarks."

They remained quiet for a long while in pleasant silence, gazing up at the stars and listening to the songs of the elves. What ever attraction he felt for Emlin was summarily scared from his mind by Haldir, but his body still felt the pull of her young, supple frame covered in the most luxurious creamy skin he had ever seen. If there ever had been a chance to pursue her, it was now gone, as he would never anger one of his friends intentionally. And really, he was glad for this happening, because it would lessen the entanglement when he left to continue his quest.

"How did you get out of your room?" He questioned. "I heard the lock latch, and it is obvious you were here before me."

Emlin smiled, "I have spent many nights locked in my room, and boredom yields invention. There is a branch right beside my window that is easy to climb out on, even in a gown."

"Why do you spend nights locked in your room?" He asked, very curious about her, though he was not sure if he wanted the answer.

"I am sure it was easy to see that Ada and I do not have the best relationship." She sighed. "The only thing I shall say on this issue is that he angers quickly, albeit because I am usually a little horror to him."

"I cannot believe that you are so terrible." Legolas smiled.

Emlin nodded her head and laid completely back on the flet floor. "Eärendil is bright tonight."

"Aye, he is." He replied and joined her in her stretched out position. Legolas turned his head to look at her, "I am truly sorry for being such a naughty elf. I should know better after my long life."

She giggled and nodded her head, "You should, but I will look past it, milord."

"It is Legolas." He affirmed. "My lord, milord, your highness and Prince are all titles I prefer to only be addressed by if my father holds court and I am present. But I make sure to busy myself with other things so I never have to suffer the agony of hearing those titles."

Emlin laughed, "I shall remember that, your highness."

"Then I shall call you Aiwamin." He raised a brow in defiance. "I seem to recall you blushed quite deeply when I called you that... or would pen neth be better suited for you?"

She sat up again, this time standing completely up and stretching her arms above her head. "Emlin will do. Mellyn?"

Legolas stood up with her and nodded his head, "We shall be friends."

"Good," Emlin nodded. "Now that we have that done, I should be going before my parents discover my absences."

With that, the elleth disappeared in the trees, running easily along the branches, untroubled by the bulk of her gown.

Indilisse rose from her resting state later that evening to find the space beside her empty and cold. She ran a hand tiredly across the pillow, an indent still in the center of the feathers where her lover's head had lain earlier. It had been a rather quiet night after Legolas left and Emlin locked herself away, but only because Haldir was so angry that he could not even verbalize it correctly in exclamations or damnations toward Legolas for being a lusty ellon after his daughter, or towards his daughter for not telling him about Legolas.

She sighed heavily and swung her legs to the ground, rising from the warm covers. Slowly she walked towards the outer chamber of the talan, but stopped when she glimpsed her husband sitting on the balcony through the billowing drapes of sheer white. Indilisse wrapped a small blanket around her body, holding it securely around her gauzy shift-covered frame as she pushed past the curtains.

"Haldir, meleth," she spoke softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "it will do you no good to worry about it the entire night."

"But I cannot take my mind from it." He sighed heavily, his hand coming up to encircle her fingers. "Does she just do it to me to see if it is possible to kill an elf?"

Indilisse sat on the stone bench beside him. "This is not her fault, Haldir. It appears to me that it is entirely Legolas' problem, but even with that you should not worry."

"Why should I not? She is my daughter." Haldir said, "I vowed to protect her from all manner of things on the day she was given to us. And if that happens to be the Mirkwood prince I am protecting her from, then so be it."

"Your intentions are always honorable, meleth, but this time you were angered far too much, by something very innocent." Indilisse replied, "Legolas is loyal and honorable, almost to a fault. You should not be worried that he would take what he wanted by force. There is a big difference between what Legolas says and what he does. And if Emlin were to give him what he seeks freely, then that is her choice. It is not your choice."

"How can you say that?" He asked, "She is yet but a babe, and does not know the ways of the world. I worry for her, though she may not worry for herself."

Indilisse was quiet and ran a hand through his silken hair, brushing a piece behind his ear. She sighed, "Whether you are prepared for it or not, Emlin is nine and forty. You said it yourself. In the eyes of the elves, she is considered full grown at the time she reaches fifty. She will one day wish to go away from you, explore other realms, and most likely the male population thereof."

"But she is still here, she still lives under my roof and she is still underage." He restated. "Legolas has no right thinking such things about an elleth, whether it be my child or another's. I would do the same if it was Aranel."

"Aranel is very young still." Indilisse reminded, "Your daughter, however, is on the brink of adulthood, and she is experiencing ellyn for the first time. I agree that it will be a few years before she is emotionally ready and able to understand what a relationship means, but she is mature nonetheless."

"Experiencing?" He asked suspiciously.

Indilisse frowned, "You need not worry. Our daughter is as pure as the day she was born. I only mean to point out that she finds others attractive now, beyond the normal lines of friendship."

Haldir was quiet for some time and slowly turned his head to gaze at her. Indilisse continued, "Besides, would it be so horrible if your daughter fell in love with a prince? Every elleth dreams of such things as noble elves coming and sweeping them away."

"You did not get a prince. Does that mean your dreams were never fulfilled?" He questioned.

"I dreamt of a handsome, arrogant knight in shining armor." Indilisse smiled, "Who rode a beast of a horse. I would say that my dreams are pretty well fulfilled."

"Those words still do not take my mind off of this situation, meleth." Haldir replied, caressing her cheek.

Indilisse sighed and rested her head on his strong shoulder, "You did not answer me. Would it be so horrible if she fell in love with a prince?"

"Only if he hurt her." He conceded.

She smiled, "You need not worry about our daughter, Haldir. She is strong in her resolve and obstinate enough to know what she wants and to not be easily fooled, no matter how handsome he is."

"Do you think she will let me play father any longer?" He asked, gazing down at Indilisse.

"Emlin may marry, and she may go elsewhere in this world Haldir." Indilisse said, "But you will always be her father. I will always be her mother. And she will know that, and love us just the same. My father worried about the same things."

Haldir sighed heavily and wrapped her tighter in his arms, placing a soft kiss upon her forehead. "I hope that day does not come soon, Indilisse, not when we have just gotten to the root of our indifferences."

Indilisse looked up at him again, and kissed his chin, "We shall see, meleth."

---

Ada- Dad

Nana- Mom

Pen neth- young one

Aiwamin- my little bird

Mellyn- friends

Ellyn- group of male he-elves

Ellon- single he-elf

Meleth- love

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